When I saw what Simone Biles said to Riley Gaines last week, I’ll admit that I was disappointed. I’ve been a big fan of our women’s gymnastics team since I was a kid, and I always felt like the athleticism and patriotism involved with that transcended politics. I’ve rooted for every one of those girls, including Biles (even when she had a lot of people hating on her for various reasons over the years).
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If you’ll remember, she attacked the activist and former swimmer for her belief that men don’t belong in women’s sports. I don’t have a problem with Biles having an opinion, even if it’s a dumb one, but the personal attacks against Gaines and the body-shaming were just too much. In cased you missed it, Biles called Gaines a “sore loser” and told her to “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.” I lost any respect I had left for her. For what it’s worth, Biles did apologize for the personal attacks. Gaines accepted her apology and schooled her a bit.
But the fact of the matter is that Gaines had something else major going on behind the scenes that was far more important than anything that has to do with sports or politics or social issues: She’s going to become a mom in September. She made the announcement at the Young Women’s Leadership Summit over the weekend and followed up with several social media posts.
Surprise! Baby GIRL coming in September.🤰🏼🩷🍼👶🏼
God is so good all the time. pic.twitter.com/sPHphLmF6M
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 15, 2025
Gaines, who married her husband Louis Barker in 2022, was speaking to the crowd about her dust-up with Biles, and she ended with this line: “I think the funniest thing about this to me, and her saying, ‘Bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a man’…How many men do you know that have this?” referring to her growing stomach.
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Thankfully, it was a conservative crowd; otherwise, some loony leftists might have gotten up and told her that men can get pregnant, too.
“Oh my goodness, this has been the hardest secret in the world for me to keep,” she continued, before bringing her husband up on stage to share the excitement. You can watch her entire speech, including the announcement, here:
Meanwhile, another world-class athlete has come out against Biles, based on her own experiences.
In a statement to One America News, MyKayla Skinner, who was a member of the 2020 U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team alongside Simone Biles, said that Biles bullied her behind the scenes, but she felt pressured to stay silent for years. Now she’s finally speaking up and defending Gaines in the process. Here’s here entire statement:
OAN received an official statement on behalf of @mykaylaskinner:
“As an athlete who has dedicated years to a sport, I’ve always believed that true competition should elevate us—not diminish others. That’s why it’s deeply troubling to see @Simone_Biles publicly label a fellow… pic.twitter.com/owcjv7JejB
— One America News (@OANN) June 13, 2025
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What a shame.
Of course, we wish Gaines and Barker well on their journey into parenthood! The young couple is expecting a baby girl. With any luck, if that little girl grows up to become an athlete herself, she won’t have to compete against men, and she’ll largely have her own mom to thank for that. That’s an incredibly sweet, full-circle moment.
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